Automatic Twitter message to new followers?

May 14, 2009 8:28 AM

Is there a way that I can get Twitter to automatically send a private message to new followers, to thank them for following me?

I've been trying to do this by hand, but I'm tweeting on behalf of a brand, and it's a lot to keep up with on top of all my other work.

I just want to send new followers something that says 'Hi there! We're looking forward to your tweets. Here's our blog address.' That kind of thing.

I think this may be a dumb question, but I've been looking around for the answer for about an hour now, and haven't found anything. Thanks!

posted by toomuchkatherine to Technology (11 answers total)

Not a developer, but one obstacle is that you have to be mutually following one another to send direct messages. So whatever script you implement needs to reciprocally follow your new follower, in addition to sending the message.
posted by CRM114 at 8:35 AM on May 14, 2009

You'll probably have to hook into the API. If you're not technically inclined, it would be difficult.

If you have OSX, you could cobble something together using Automator, Safari, and Mail.
posted by unixrat at 8:38 AM on May 14, 2009

Be aware, many, many people consider this spam and annoying.
posted by nitsuj at 8:39 AM on May 14, 2009 [8 favorites]

My suggestion: please don't do this. If you want to make something that automatically follows the person back, go ahead, there's not really a problem with that. I'm pretty sure many scripts already exist that do this. However, anyone you automatically direct message using an automated script with a canned response will be able to tell, and many of them will probably think it's lame and patronizing. I know I would. This is just a web 2.0 version of the automated "thanks for the add!" comments on Myspace from bands and organizations. It was annoying then, and it's annoying now.
posted by joshrholloway at 8:42 AM on May 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

SocialToo does this, I think.
posted by xiaolongbao at 8:42 AM on May 14, 2009

Response by poster: No, I don't want to automatically follow everyone who follows me...

nitsuj, thanks -- I'm sold. I'll tell my boss that automated replies are passé.
posted by toomuchkatherine at 8:44 AM on May 14, 2009

My two cents as an avid twitter-er and internet-er-er: If I followed someone and they sent me a DM thanking me for following them, I would unfollow them almost immediately. If I even suspected it was an automated DM I would dedicate the remainder of my life to developing a time machine so I could return to the point that I initially followed them and stop myself.

Don't be that guy (girl/brand/whatever).
posted by knowles at 10:08 AM on May 14, 2009

Just to summarize. Yes, auto-DM-upon-follow is possible. No, it's not really cool.

However, you don't need to be following someone to DM them. They just need to be following YOU.
posted by polexa at 12:19 PM on May 14, 2009

Another vote against the DM. It's kinda creepy if you don't actually know the person. Also obnoxious: the "thanks for the follow @twelvenewfollowers" roundup tweets. Ugh.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 1:58 PM on May 14, 2009

I concur. The Twit'iquette is, I think, no response.

The cool thing to do is a post that might subtly be aimed at the new follower. Subtly, I said.
posted by megatherium at 3:32 PM on May 14, 2009

I'll back up knowles... recently followed a couple of "marketing gurus" because they had an interesting exchange. I got a "thanks, looking forward to..." DM shortly thereafter and promptly unfollowed both. Lame.
posted by FlamingBore at 10:59 PM on May 14, 2009